If Southern hospitality is a tradition, BeachLife Ranch just might be on its way to becoming its own surf-steeped version.
And that would probably be alright with founder Allen Sanford as the nascent country/Americana music festival wrapped up with a full slate of country artists on Sunday.
It was Year Two for BeachLife Ranch and Sanford is proving there’s something for everyone and that music with ocean breezes overhead and sand underfoot might just be something Redondo Beach can’t do without.
A congenial spirit was embodied everywhere: from security staff to food vendors to fans — die-hard three-day pass holders and parents with children alike.
The Marshall Tucker Band’s lead singer, 75-year-old Doug Gray, hit the right note before hitting his throaty vocals Sunday. The band had moved to later in the afteroon after another act bowed out a few days ago, according to organizers.
As the country-blues-rocker band took to the Highland stage, Gray grabbed the microphone: “Y’all gonna turn Southern now?” He seemed to be asking it of a middle-aged, clean-cut dude hanging over the VIP railing. The guy smiled widely and nodded. Gray then invited everyone to come to South Carolina, the band’s home, for a drink.
Good old-fashioned congeniality was the theme for the weekend, especially for BeachLife aficionados who purchased three day passes.
They were treated to mellow surfer rocker Jack Johnson on Friday where attendance was 10,1000. Wynonna Judd, The Doobie Brothers and Cody Jinks on Saturday brought in 8,200, according to organizers.
Sunday had a decidedly more country lineup. In addition to Marshall Tucker, ticket holders were scheduled to hear Midland, Chris Isaak and Grammy-award-winning Brad Paisley.
But the through line of the three-day festival was its easy-does-it sensibility.
On Sunday, Matthew Neagle and Kim St. Hilaire were out to the festival early.
Between them, the Palos Verdes Peninsula residents, have missed only one iteration of BeachLife or BeachLife Ranch since the franchise began in 2019 with Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys and Willie Nelson.
“We just love the day out in the sunshine and the great fans, it’s wonderful,” Neagle said. St. Hilaire said the pair can’t wait each time before organizers announce the next lineup.
On Saturday evening, Wynonna Judd finished her set just before 7 p.m. to a thinning crowd on the Highlands stage. A short walk away, people were already staking their claims to see The Doobie Brothers’ 50th Anniversary Tour.
The crowd grew noticeably more dense as the Dobbie’s 7:20 p.m. set time approached. Folks who had staked their claim earlier by plopping down on blankets stood up to watch Judd’s video feed as they waited for the Doobie Brothers.
Bruce Irwin and his wife Patti, Redondo Beach residents who buy “all three days, all variations,” were among those standing and waiting.
Funny thing, said Bruce Irwin. That spot in the sand on Seaside Lagoon, in the summer filled with water, was where his kids did swim tests years ago. How crazy it was that, decades later, it’s a concert venue with the waterfall feature transformed into a coveted perch for listeners at the Lowtide stage.
“This is such a nice, chill, gentle venue and the music is incredible” said Irwin, a veteran BeachLifegoer who has purchased 3-day passes for May and September since the festivals began in 2019.
Irwin finds the attendees respectful, as well, he said.
“It’s like people even put their trash in the trash cans as they walk from stage to stage,” Irwin said.
After The Doobies opened their set with “Take Me in Your Arms,” Irwin was asked if the master musicians still sounded the same as when he last saw them 48 years ago in Indianapolis.
He shrugged and said he wasn’t sure could remember that far back.
A rowdy atmosphere, however, is not prevalent at BeachLife, where plenty of people bring young children to enjoy the music.
For Whitney Morris, mother of a 6- and 7-year-old, the experience of bringing kids to BeachLife has been epic.
“It’s a really well-organized festival, so it makes really easy to bring your family,” Morris said on Saturday. She was looking forward to seeing Brad Paisley on Sunday, she said.
Morris added that the open space for kids to roam, the stage setups and the ability to get food and drinks easily, were all draws for her.
Indeed, the 8.6-acre site has so much space that even when people are packed in to see headliners, you can always sneak away and find some air.
Morris was bringing the family all three days, she said.
“This is like a local festival that everyone marks on their calendar every year and comes to,” Morris said. “This is all we do all weekend. No other obligation.”
Not too far away, Gabriella Kashani David brought her 6-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter. She was pushing a stroller while her daughter dressed in a blue princess dress and teal headphones rested on her shoulder.
Her family attends a lot of festivals, she said, and BeachLife “definitely feels like you can bring the family and not feel like you’re getting in the way of other people.”
She and her sisters loved going to festivals before having children, she said. So, that’s continuing.
“We just wanted our children to have this experience together as cousins,” David said.
Chef Ben Ford, who has helmed the wood-fired grill all weekend at BeachLife Ranch, praised the festival and the crowds who he called “really wonderful.”
On Day Three, Ford, still serving his upscale pork tacos, grilled shrimp rolls and street corn, said the “entire production has been really incredible.”
“I think it’s really well operated and really positioned for growth,” Ford said.
–Staff Writer Michael Hixon contributed to this article.
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